Damiani and Levine criteria: One of the following must apply:

Caution: Do not self diagnose.

Always seek professional medical advice to obtain  proper diagnosis for your ailment.

Relapsing Polychondritis (RPC) is distinguished from other diseases by the coexistence of usually widespread potentially destructive inflammatory lesions involving cartilaginous structures throughout the body, organs of special sense, the central   nervous system and the cardiovascular system.

There are no tests that is diagnostically specific for RPC. The diagnosis can best be established by clinical findings, supportive laboratory data and imaging procedures.

McAdam and colleagues' diagnostic algorithm is generally accepted. The diagnosis  of  relapsing  polychondritis is deemed conclusive if patients have at least three of the six defined features of the disease.

This page was last updated on: September 21, 2007

Michet and colleagues criteria: One of the following must apply:

Bilateral Auricular Chondritis

Nonerosive Seronegative Inflammatory Arthritis

Nasal Chondritis

Ocular Inflammation

Respiratory Tract Chondritis

Audiovestibular Damage

OR

Histologic Confirmation *  

• Biopsy should be performed only if clinical criteria is in question
  

McAdam and colleague's

Three of McAdam's criteria

        OR

Two of McAdam's criteria 

       AND

Therapeutic response to corticosteroids 

        OR

One of McAdam's Criteria

      AND

Positive Histology *

• Biopsy should be performed only if clinical criteria is in question
  

Proven Inflammation in 2 of the 3 areas

• Auricular Cartilage
  

• Laryngotracheal Cartilage
  

• Nasal Cartilage
  

      OR

Proven Inflammation in 1 of the 3 areas

• Auricular Cartilage
  

• Nasal Cartilage
  

• Laryngotracheal Cartilage
  

      AND

2 of the following:

• Ocular Inflammation
  

• Vestibular Dysfunction
  

• Seronegative Inflammatory Arthritis
  

• Hearing Loss
  

Some researchers have proposed that the following criteria may be sufficient.

Diagnosis